Quotes from Jessica McDonald

I know all the girls; we all have something to play for, we all have this goal, and we're all on the same page as to what we want at the end of the day. But as for me, I have something a little bit more to play for, and that's my kid.

You name the sport, I've played it. I was quarterback for a football team one year, played volleyball, played softball - you name it.

I was one of those players that had to come in and prove that I can belong on this field with these girls, and I can hang in this league as well.

If anything as simple as child care was covered by the league or your organization, that would be life-changing for moms, especially when we're scraping pennies. Maybe we would have more moms in this league if something like that was there for us, but I feel like we're far from that.

I was born and raised in Phoenix.

I need to keep my focus as an individual and keep supporting my team.

The more minutes you get on the pitch, the more you can prove yourself.

In high school and college, I always, always straightened my hair. Don't ask why; I was just so into my image. Post-college, I started wearing my hair natural.

Being here in Houston, I have a lot more weight on my shoulders than I did in Portland. I feel a lot more appreciated because I am starting now, and I'm scoring goals.

I haven't had any injuries since I've had my kid, so I think it's changed my body externally and internally. I don't know what it is, but I hadn't felt so great, body-wise, until I had my kid. I look more in shape, and I feel more in shape. And speaking from a confidence side, it's changed me in such a positive way.

It's exciting to play against old teammates, old friends.

There were days when I would just go home and cry because it was that hard, but I didn't want to give up just because things got hard, just because I was a mom.

You're always supposed to follow-up any cross or whatever towards the goalkeeper.

It's just an amazing feeling to walk barefooted in some nice grass.

It was definitely a big boost when I went into Australia. That's what really got my recognition going. I started scoring. I started feeling a little bit better each game.

What I am working hardest for is for my kid, for a better future for him.

Sometimes I wear makeup while I play - I did it during the World Cup because the cameras were always on us, but for club, not so much. If I'm wearing it on the field, I try not to apply too much.

Being able to go home to my kid is such a relief because he's such a happy kid. He balances my life out in such a good way.

Being able to inspire my kid with what I'm doing now, it's going to help him succeed in the future, and that's one of my main goals here - is to try and succeed on the field, and succeed as a mother.

I need to just give - everything that I do, every single day - my all. I just need to. Life is short. We have one life to live. And I need to be able to push for my kid.

My grandmother - my inspiration - was a single mom with nine kids, and she helped raise me.

I've had so many parents DM me on social media thanking me because I simply have dreadlocks, because their daughters wear dreadlocks and play with dreadlocks, and I'm like, 'Well why not? Let's do it.' It's really cool to be able to inspire the younger generation of kids of color that look like us.

I'm not just working for myself anymore. I'm working for my kid as well, someone who's actually looking up to me on a whole other level than the younger generation.

Obviously this is something huge, just to be playing on the world stage and repping all the parents out there - not just the parents, but obviously all of the African American girls who feel as if they don't have much to rely to make your dreams come true, whatever the circumstances may be.